Each director on the panel represents various corners of professional erotica production. The discussion will focus on the importance of intertwining explicit sex with high production values and immersive narratives for total audience engagement. Panelists will also discuss various social and cultural issues impacting adult content production today including safety standards, workplace ethics, representation, and common misperceptions of porn.

“Porn is constantly engaged as a clickbait device, but very rarely do those invoking porn as an edgy proxy actually understand the intricacies of adult content production,” explained Angie Rowntree. “This is especially egregious when we’re talking about content made by women.”

Dee Severe echoed Rowntree’s sentiments. “Directing fetish porn has been one of the best creative experiences of my life. Unlike the mainstream film industry, it’s a medium where you can have nearly complete control of your project and where female directors are welcomed,” she shared. “Comedies elicit laughter, horror movies elicit fear — why should sexual pleasure be any less valid as a creative goal?”

Regarding porn’s position in the greater filmmaking world, “I think people don’t take erotic films or porn or whatever you want to call it seriously. Even though we’ve been in film fests all over the country, people’s reactions are too often a pat on the head, like ‘Oh cute, you’re just making porn,’” Shine Louise Houston explained.

“We’re all very excited to bring critical, informed perspectives regarding adult entertainment to SXSW,” Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals said. “And we’re very grateful to the industry community who was so supportive during the selection and upvoting process. SXSW seeks to engage timely, relevant topics, and it’s thanks to a huge collective effort that we were able to convey that adult entertainment is, in fact, super socially and culturally relevant.”

SXSW Film 2018 runs from March 9 through 18. The exact date and time for “Using Explicit Sex as a Storytelling Element” will be announced in early November 2017. For more detail on SXSW Film 2018, please go here: http://www.sxsw.com/film